Fighting Fate
by Berserker Nightwitch
Summary: Hatori is feeling sick and it turns out he has bone cancer. Will he tell the others? And if he does, how will they react?
1. Fighting Fate

Fighting Fate  
  
Hatori tumbled into bed, exhausted. The day had taken a lot out of him. It wasn't that it had been particularly different than any other day, but Hatori had been noticing some changes in himself, changes that he wanted to hide from the others as long as he could. He had been feeling tired and weak a lot lately. The day before his legs had gone numb. He was sure he knew what it was, but until he could get to a specialist and know for certain, he didn't want to worry the others. He was even considering not telling them at all. Maybe he could get through it without them having to know.  
  
~  
  
"Hey Tori!"  
  
"Hello."  
  
"Are you alright? You look thinner than you did a few days ago . . . Are you sick?"  
  
"I'll be fine, Shigure."  
  
"Are you sure? You really don't look so good."  
  
"Um . . . Shigure-san, Hatori-san? Lunch is ready."  
  
"Ah, thank you, Tohru-chan! I'm sure it will be wonderful! Don't you think so, Tori? Tori, what's wrong?"  
  
"Excuse me for a moment."  
  
~  
  
"Doctor Sohma, is it?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You were right to come here when you did. You were also correct in your assumption about what was wrong. After getting the results of the tests back, we are sure that you have bone cancer."  
  
"Alright.  
  
~  
  
"Have you noticed how Hatori's been changing lately?"  
  
"How could you not notice?"  
  
"Momiji, do you know what's wrong? You live with him, has he told you anything?"  
  
"No, but he has been acting strange. He's been really tired lately, and he looks like he's about to get sick whenever he sees food. And he's gotten thinner."  
  
"What do you mean, 'thinner'?"  
  
"Well, he **needs** a belt now. He was walking around the house yesterday in sweatpants and he had to hold them up with his hand."  
  
"Maybe he just bought some that were too loose for him?"  
  
"No, I heard him complaining a few months ago that they were too tight."  
  
Momiji, Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo looked at each other. Something was definitely wrong with their doctor, and they WOULD find out what.  
  
~  
  
"Akito?"  
  
"Yes, Hatori?"  
  
"I would like to take some time off. Away from the Sohma House."  
  
"Why is that?"  
  
"I need a vacation. To recuperate after all that has happened lately."  
  
"Is there any other reason?"  
  
"Yes, but I would prefer not to get into it just yet."  
  
"Hmm . . . alright. I'll give you two weeks. Where will you be if you are needed?"  
  
"Most likely at the Hot Springs."  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Thank you, Akito."  
  
~  
  
"TOHRU! Guess what! Hari went on a vacation so I get to stay here for a few weeks! Isn't that great?"  
  
"Oh, of course! We'll have fun!"  
  
"What are you doing here?" Kyo asked as he came downstairs.  
  
"I'm staying here while Hari goes on vacation!"  
  
"That's strange," Yuki murmured to himself as he walked in from the kitchen. "I don't remember Hatori ever needing to go on a vacation before now."  
  
"What, do you think it has something to do with how weird he's been lately? You don't think he's hiding something, do you?"  
  
"You stupid cat. Did you just think of that?"  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"Oh, Yuki, Kyo, please stop fighting!"  
  
"Don't worry, Miss Honda."  
  
"Yeah, we're not fighting. But we gotta figure out what's wrong with Hatori."  
  
~  
  
Hatori moaned as he rolled over. His entire left side was sore, and his left leg had swollen up to twice its normal size. He had been sick off and on since he had arrived, and he had told the owner of the Hot Springs that under no circumstances (short of Akito's demands) was anyone to come into his room.  
  
He had begun feeling bad shortly after he had arrived. Maybe he should have taken that specialist's advice and stayed close to the hospital. But the thought of moving seemed to make the pain intensify, so he stayed where he was. A wave of nausea rolled over him as the smell of breakfast reached his room. This is going to be worse than I thought.   
  
~*~  
  
A/N: So, what did you guys think? I got this idea a few weeks ago and it hasn't left me alone yet, so I thought I'd give it a try and write it out. I found the symptoms for bone cancer online, but I forgot to look for the cure. Dumb me! But anyway, please review if you want to know what happens! 


	2. Reluctant Information

A/N: Sorry it took so long. School's been kinda hectic lately. Thanks for all the reviews I've gotten so far. I saw DVD number four. It was so SAD!!!! I almost cried!  
  
~  
  
"I'm a little worried about Hatori . . ., " Tohru said. Hatori had been gone for two weeks and hadn't even called to check in. He would usually at least call to make sure the others were alright, but this time they hadn't gotten any word from him.  
  
"I'm sure he's fine, Miss Honda. He probably just needed some time off. He hasn't had a real vacation ever, and everything is probably just finally getting to him," Yuki reassured her.  
  
"Okay . . . " Tohru didn't sound convinced, but she wasn't willing to argue with Yuki.  
  
~ Meanwhile ~  
  
Everything was getting to Hatori. He hadn't begun feeling better even after two weeks to himself. He had noticed the development of an infection the week before, but hadn't been able to get up the strength to make the drive back to the hospital.  
  
He got up slowly, deciding that he couldn't put it off any longer. He had to call someone to come pick him up. And it had to be someone that he could trust to leave him alone for a little while and not ask questions. The only person that even slightly fit that description was Ayame. He had almost reached the phone when his leg gave out on him.  
  
When he fit the ground, he could hear the bone in his leg snapping out of place. Hatori managed to stifle a scream and grabbed the phone. He dialed the number of Ayame's store, knowing his cousin would still be there even though it was ten at night.  
  
"Hello, Ayame. Ayame speaking, how can I help you?" A strangely sultry voice said from the other end.  
  
"Ayame . . . " Hatori could hear how gravelly his voice sounded and winced.  
  
"Tori? Is that you? How are you?!" Ayame squealed.  
  
"Ayame, please lower you voice. Would you please come pick me up at the Hot Springs. I would rather not answer any questions just yet, but I need a ride into town."  
  
"Sure, Tori. I'll be there as soon as I can." Ayame's voice had lost all of its playfulness and had become serious. He knew something was wrong, otherwise Hatori wouldn't have called him and asked for help.  
  
~  
  
Ayame arrived less than thirty minutes later. He found Hatori leaning against one of the support beams for the porch. "Tori? Are you okay?"  
  
"Would you help me to the car? I can't make it by myself."  
  
"Tori?" Ayame's voice began raising as he got worried. Hatori never sounded that weak.  
  
"I broke my leg on the way to the phone. I can't walk very well," Hatori explained, hoping to calm Ayame somewhat. It worked, but only slightly. Ayame walked up to Hatori and picked him up.  
  
"I can't have you putting any weight on it, though," Ayame paused as he judged Hatori's weight, "you don't seem to be very heavy. I think you've become lighter than your Zodiac form." Ayame attempted at a joke.  
  
~  
  
They arrived at the hospital and eventually Hatori was shown into a room. The doctor raised his eyebrow when he saw who it was. Hatori sighed and nodded. Ayame looked back and forth between the two, confused.  
  
"What's going on here?" he asked, his voice raising again as he got worried again.  
  
"I'll tell you after we leave, Ayame. Please calm down."  
  
~  
  
After they left, Hatori asked to be driven to Shigure's house. He wanted his closer relatives to be the first to know. When they arrived, Hatori struggled for a few minutes with the crutches he had been given. They got inside and, as predicted, Tohru immediately made a fuss about Hatori's leg.  
  
"I have something to tell all of you," Hatori said, the seriousness in his voice getting everyone's attention. "I have cancer. It is not fatal right now, however I will not be able to perform my duties as the Sohma doctor until this is over."  
  
"What do you mean, 'Not fatal right now'?" Kyo demanded to know, standing up and glaring at Hatori. Even Yuki could see that the glare was his way of hiding how worried and scared he was about Hatori.  
  
"It can be cured with treatment, unless I waited too long. I do plan on trying the treatment, but I felt that I had hidden it from you for too long." As Hatori ended his speech Ayame stood up and left the room. Yuki followed him, curious.  
  
~ Outside ~  
  
"Ayame? What's wrong?" Yuki asked, noticing Ayame's shaking shoulders. Ayame whirled around to face him, tears streaming down his face.  
  
"Didn't you hear him? He could die! He's known for at least two weeks now and he didn't tell us, he just went away and broke his leg!" Ayame cried, turning back away from Yuki, ashamed of his outburst.  
  
"It'll be okay, Ayame. He can't die," Yuki told his brother, putting his arm on Ayame's shoulder comfortingly. He wasn't sure exactly why it mattered to him so much, but he wanted to make his brother feel better. He knew the thought of having to live without Tohru was unbearable, how much worse must it be for Ayame? He and Hatori had been close friends almost from the moment they were born, and now Ayame might lose him. So Yuki did the one thing he could: he stayed with Ayame, holding him as he was overcome with sobs, whispering soothing words as his brother cried.  
  
A/N: Yeah, I know Yuki and Ayame are both a bit *sarcastic* out of character, but I needed them to be like that to make this part work out. As the story progresses they will probably become closer as Ayame comes to depend on Yuki more, and Yuki begins to realize what it's like to be needed. I hope you liked it. Please review and tell me what you think. 


	3. A New Doctor

A/N: Another LONG wait for this story to be updated, but I keep forgetting to check and see what the cure is for bone cancer. So I'm just going to wing it and see how it turns out!  
  
~~  
  
"So how much longer do we have to wait?" Kyo asked, leaning against the door frame. Yuki looked up, still dazed.  
  
"Wait for what?"  
  
"Wait for the results! How much longer 'til we know if he waited too long or not?!?"  
  
"Anywhere from a month to three months," Shigure answered softly. "And please keep your voice down, Kyo. Ayame just fell asleep." He indicated the white-haired man laying on the floor, asleep.  
  
It had been a week since Hatori's announcement, and Ayame had decided to stay at Shigure's (with much prompting from Tohru and Yuki). The yellow- eyed man had slept very little since the announcement, so the others in the household had tried to be quiet when he finally did get to sleep.  
  
Everyone in the family was affected by Hatori's problem. The more wild family members had calmed down, the quieter ones had withdrawn even further into themselves, and Black Haru was appearing more and more frequently. To help ease their minds, Hatori had called in for another Sohma to take over the doctor position. Unfortunately, the only person qualified in the Sohma family was Kana.  
  
The Juunishi either shunned her or over-worked her. After a week she was ready to give up the job. Then the unexpected happened. She bumped into Yuki and transformed him. The moment the smoke cleared, her memory returned. Thankfully she was able to handle what had happened better. She was able to understand why the Juunishi wanted nothing to do with her.  
  
She apologized to all of the Juunishi for what she had done, and the others were able to, if not forgive her, then to live with the fact that she was Hatori's choice for a replacement. 


	4. A Possibility

A/N: Well, I finally wrote an outline for this story! I have a bad habit of just writing the story without paying attention to what will come next. I figured that if I actually know what will come next I might finish it some time this century! I hope you enjoy what happens next.  
  
~~  
  
"Keep in mind, Sohma-san, that at this point it's just a possibility."  
  
"Yes, Doctor. Thank you for informing me." Hatori hung up the phone and sat, staring at it for a few minutes. How was he going to tell his family? How would they react? Who would watch over Momiji? At the moment, Shigure was opening his house to all who felt more comfortable there. Hatori himself had spent a week at Shigure's house after he had first told everyone. Maybe it was time for another visit? Kana had said something about problems with Ayame during her last update.  
  
Kana came to Hatori with all of the information she received concerning the Juunishi. She wanted to make him feel that he was still the head doctor, even if she was the one doing all the check-ups and doctoring. Hatori had to admit that it made him feel more useful, though.  
  
Hatori picked up the phone again and dialed another - now familiar - number. On the second ring it was answered by a deep male voice. "Hello, may I speak with Kana please? Yes, this is Sohma Hatori." After a second or two, the phone was handed over to someone else, and Hatori could hear Kana's voice asking who it was. "Kana?"  
  
"Hatori! Hi, how are you?"  
  
"I'm doing better. Would you please do me a favor, unless it's too much trouble?"  
  
"It's no trouble, Hatori. What is it?"  
  
"I was wondering if you could please take me over to Shigure's. I was told not to drive, and I need to visit them," Hatori told her.  
  
"Not a problem! I can be over there in about five minutes. When do you plan on leaving?"  
  
"In about a week. I only plan to leave there for my own check-ups."  
  
"Alright. Do you need help packing?"  
  
"I still haven't unpacked from when I was there last time."  
  
"That makes it easy. I'll be there shortly."  
  
"Thank you Kana."  
  
"Don't mention it."  
  
~~  
  
"HATORI!! You're here! I didn't know you were coming to visit," Shigure pouted. Hatori offered his childhood friend a small smile, knowing it would be enough to please the dog-cursed man.  
  
"I really didn't know either. I was talking to the doctor and decided I wanted to come and visit again."  
  
"You're not dying are you?"  
  
"No faster than I was before."  
  
"You're sure?"  
  
"Absolutely. Why?"  
  
"Last time you came over after talking to a doctor you announced that you have bone cancer. For all I know, this time you could be announcing that you have two days left to live."  
  
"No, I was just thinking about doctors, and that took me to Kana, which reminded me that she said that something's wrong with Ayame."  
  
"And you wanted to check-up on him yourself?"  
  
"In a sense. Is he still here?"  
  
"If I said no would you leave?"  
  
"No."  
  
"He's in the master bedroom."  
  
"Thanks Shigure."  
  
"What are friends for? And after you're done with Aya, why don't you tell me what the doctor had to say?"  
  
"Alright." Hatori turned to Kana. "Thank you for driving me over here."  
  
"Not a problem, I already told you that. However, you had better get Shigure or one of the others to get your bag inside. I'm not strong enough, and you aren't allowed to do any lifting."  
  
"Don't worry about that. Kyo and Yuki will take care of them!" Shigure laughed.  
  
"Take care of what?" Yuki's monotone spoke up right behind Shigure. The dog jumped slightly, but immediately started to tease.  
  
"Oh, Yuki! You scared me so much! How do you walk around without making any noise? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"  
  
"Baka Inu. You knew I was there, and we both know it." Yuki then lead Kyo to the car, where they each took one of Hatori's bags and headed up to the room they had saved for when he came over.  
  
~~  
  
The six Sohmas and Tohru were gathered around the table when Shigure brought up the subject of Hatori's conversation with the doctor again. Momiji had been drifting off to sleep, as were Kyo and Tohru. Ayame was picking dejectedly at his food, Yuki was watching the others with a rare, worried look on his face. Hatori had been listening to Shigure babble for the past twenty minutes, knowing that his friend needed it.  
  
"So, what did your doctor have to say today?" Shigure asked. The three sleepy ones immediately jerked awake, Yuki sat up straighter, fearing bad news, and Ayame looked up, making the dark bags under his eyes visible to everyone in the room.  
  
"You didn't get any bad news, did you Hari?" Momiji asked.  
  
"Were you told when you were going to die?" Ayame asked, shocking everyone with his depressed voice. Aya could be sad, angry, or loud, but never quiet and depressed. It just wasn't in his nature. A pained look crossed Hatori's face and he put his arms around the silver-haired man's shoulders.  
  
"No, I wasn't told when I was going to die. However, there is a possibility that I'll need a bone marrow transplant."  
  
"What's that mean?" Tohru asked, getting involved in the conversation for the first time that night.  
  
"It means that if it comes to that, my closest relatives will be tested to see who has a blood type matching my own. When they find that person, they'll take some of that person's bone marrow, and put it into my bones. Unless my body rejects the donation, I should start to get better."  
  
"Really?" Ayame asked, gold eyes filling with hope and life.  
  
"Really."  
  
~~  
  
A/N: That seems to be a good place to stop. Just to let you guys know, I have no idea how they do the testing or the transplant. The closest I've come to this kind of stuff is reading this book by Lurlene McDaniel called "Dawn Rochelle". The chapters for this story will more than likely stay short. They'll be about this length. Please review and tell me what you think of this fic. 


	5. Testing For a Match

A/N: We're getting close to the end! Everyone say with me now, "YAY!" Just kidding, I'm still having fun with this story! Okay, enough babble. Thanks to all of my reviewers! You know who you are! ^^ You guys are what's kept this story going as long as it has. On with the story! Oh, BTW, I haven't gotten around to searching for information regarding the testing or anything, so if any of you readers are doctors (why didn't you email me the info?) you'll just have to deal with the fact that my info is really screwy. ^^  
  
~~  
  
A few weeks after Hatori came to stay with Shigure again the doctor called. Hatori knew that he should be thankful that he was being posted about his progress, but they had just gotten Ayame to smile again. He had even laughed earlier that morning. However, when the phone rang and Hatori told them the news, Ayame's face had dropped, and he had become completely silent.  
  
Ayame ran out of the room, and, after a few minutes of looking at the others, Yuki ran after him. He found his older brother at the base. That confused Yuki, because he had only showed Tohru where it was. Kyo had found it on his own, true, but he hadn't known what it was until later. Shigure knew that Yuki had a garden, but didn't care to know where it was.  
  
Yuki walked over to his brother, and saw the older Juunishi crying. He sat down next to the silver-haired man and put an arm around his shoulder. Ayame leaned further into the embrace and wrapped his own arms around Yuki. The next thing Yuki knew, his older brother was sobbing brokenly into Yuki's shoulder.  
  
"Ayame? Don't worry. It can't be that bad!"  
  
"Do you even know what that entails? Do you have any idea what he'd have to go through not only during the procedure, but before and after as well?" Ayame sobbed. Yuki shook his head gently and asked how Ayame knew. "Shigure and I hung out with Tori even when he was being a jerk and studying at all hours. After we talked to him about it, he started asking us to help him study. He said it helped him remember things when we were adding our own ideas to the text."  
  
"And that was one of the things he studied?"  
  
"Yeah. Though, I think he only asked our help to make us feel like we were a part of it. He never wants us to feel left out even when we're annoying him."  
  
"So what happens now?" Yuki asked, glad Ayame had stopped crying. The older man had been so caught up in memories that he had temporarily forgotten that he had been upset.  
  
"Now each of us will take the test and see who matches Tori the closest. The one that does will go through the same type of operation Tori will."  
  
"It's so strange to think of Hatori going into surgery. Of course, it's strange to think of him having cancer at all." Ayame could only nod as he trembled, fighting back new tears.  
  
~~  
  
"So you have to go in for surgery?" Shigure asked, lifting his teacup to take a sip of the drink Tohru had made for them.  
  
"Yes. The doctors will start testing for a match in a few days."  
  
"Who do you think will match the closest?"  
  
"That's hard to say. I can tell that it will more than likely be someone in the Juunishi, though."  
  
"What makes you say that?"  
  
"We have blood the closest to one another."  
  
~~  
  
Three weeks later, everyone was done testing. Hatori's parents had gone first, but hadn't passed. Next had come Akito, then the rest of the Juunishi. After a few days of arguing, the Juunishi even managed to get Akito to allow Kyo to get tested as well.  
  
The day after all of the testing was complete, Hatori received a call informing him who had had the closest blood type, and when the two of them should arrive at the hospital for the procedure. Hatori, during the testing, had been working on a temporary cure for one part of the curse. (A/N: Yes, he's a scientist in his spare time) He and the donor would each take a pill before the procedure, and hopefully it would keep them from changing into animal form if anything happened. It would be bad if, midway through the procedure, they changed into their animal forms.  
  
Hatori had tested the pills throughout the others' testing, and found that they worked. The next day, he and the donor left for the hospital. The doctor went through the procedure one more time when they arrived. Then, everyone got ready.  
  
~~  
  
A/N: Yeah, shoot me. I'm ending it there. I've had a pretty bad day, and I'm just not in the mood to write right now. I ended up getting depressed at lunch again. That's been happening a lot lately. T_T So anyways, that's it until the next chapter. And yes, I will tell you who it is when that time comes. 


	6. Donation

A/N: Hi, I'm back! I'm getting new story ideas though. V_V I don't think I'm going to be able to finish these stories before starting a new one. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. It is greatly appreciated. Anyway, here's the story.  
  
~  
  
"I just want to get up!" Tohru and Yuki heard the deep-voiced scream from down the hall. Yuki tried unsuccessfully to hide a small smile at the next comment. "Will you people let me up! I have to pee D~~~~~!!! Now let me up!" Yuki and Tohru walked into the hospital room to see Kyo struggling against three or four nurses. The orange-haired teen had a mix of anger and desperation on his face.  
  
"Excuse me, but is there a problem?" Yuki asked calmly, causing the nurses to turn and look at him. Kyo would have looked too, but he was trying to use the others' lack of concentration to get to the restroom.  
  
"It's too soon after the procedure for him to be up and around," one of the nurses explained, tightening his grip on Kyo's arm. Yes, all the nurses were male - specifically requested by Hatori.  
  
"It's not too soon!" Kyo shrieked. "And I gotta pee!"  
  
"Use the bedpan," Yuki suggested, just waiting for the cat's glare. He didn't have to wait long, as Kyo turned his head and hissed at him.  
  
"Would it really hurt Kyo-kun any more than fighting all of you?" Tohru asked. Everyone in the room stopped and stared at the petite girl. The nurses exchanged sheepish looks before releasing their patient and stepping back. Kyo jumped off the bed and ran to the restroom.  
  
It was only about an hour after the sedatives had worn off, and Kyo was already back to his normal self. After all of the testing, Kyo had been the one with the closest match; Kisa was second. Kyo had donated some of his bone marrow, and was already doing better. The cat didn't seem to be missing the marrow at all, except that the doctors were ordering him to stay immobile.  
  
Hatori was also doing better, but he was a little more worn out from the procedure. He was following the doctor's orders exactly, and most of the hospital staff figured that, with Hatori behaving so well, it almost made up for his younger cousin's lack of obedience.  
  
The Sohma family had been informed that it could take awhile before Hatori was able to resume his duties in the family, but he was getting stronger quickly. They were also told that they should be on the watch for a relapse. The doctors were planning on doing more chemo after Hatori had finished recovering, but they had high expectations for his full recovery.  
  
~  
  
Kyo sat on the hospital bed grumbling. He was bored, lonely, and hungry. There was nothing to watch on TV, and no one had come by lately, not even the nurses that were so much fun to torment. The cat picked at his light blanket, deciding to find his own entertainment.  
  
~  
  
"No, sir, you should still be in bed!"  
  
"Get back to your room!"  
  
"You shouldn't be up yet!"  
  
"I'm going to see my cousin! Now leave me alone," Kyo growled as he wandered down the corridors, searching for Hatori's room. He knew the dragon would at least have newer demands and admonitions than the hospital staff. He let out a crow of delight when he finally found the older Sohma's room.  
  
"Hey Hatori!" The Sohma in question looked up in surprise as his orange headed cousin walked through the door.  
  
"Kyo? Shouldn't you be in bed right now?"  
  
"It wasn't very interesting."  
  
"You do know that it wasn't smart to walk over here, don't you?"  
  
"Why does that matter?"  
  
"Hospital gowns open up in the back."  
  
"Crap."  
  
~  
  
A/N: Yeah, that's it for now. Just one chapter left. Here's the question: Will Hatori have a relapse, or will he get better? Is Kyo ever going to get into a hospital gown again? Find out next time! Please review; the next chapter might come faster! 


	7. Happily Ever After

A/N: Thank everyone who reviewed for the last chapter! I can't remember if I wrote it last time or not, so I'll say it now: This is the last chapter of Fighting Fate! I hope you've enjoyed it so far (those of you who still read it) and I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations. Anyways, let's get on with this!  
  
~  
  
"Do you think he'll be okay?" Ritsu asked, worriedly. Most people ignored him, but Tohru turned to him and smiled sweetly.  
  
"I'm sure he'll be fine, Ritsu-kun!"  
  
"Of course he will. It'll take more than this to get Hatori!" Everyone could hear the worry in the cat's voice. It was obvious he was being loud and confidant for their sakes - and because he was trying to convince himself as well. No one had really paid much attention to his feelings concerning the cancer until he was chosen as the donator. However, once he came into the spotlight, his family had paid a lot more attention to him, and Kyo had to admit that it wasn't really all that great.  
  
One good thing that came out of Hatori's illness, Tohru noted, was that Kyo and Yuki were becoming closer. They didn't fight half as much, and when they did, it was only to let out steam and other feelings. Both boys were worried about their cousin, and, the only way they knew how to let it out was physically. Kagura and Hatsuharu were the same way, Tohru thought, glancing over at the boar and the cow.  
  
During the past few months, Tohru had noticed how each of the Juunishi - including Akito and Kyo - dealt with the thought of losing their cousin. Each of them had similar, and yet completely different, views and ways of doing things. She thought about each of them in turn.  
  
~Kyo~  
  
Kyo fought anyone and everyone he could, but was really just looking for someone to feel close to; someone that could be a form of security when everything was shifting. He and Kagura had had a long talk concerning their relationship, and had decided that they would try for friends until Kagura could stay calm enough to keep Kyo from injuries.  
  
He fought with Kagura, Yuki, and Haru, and was as happy when he lost as he was when he won. It was just a stress relief; he had proven himself when he donated his bone marrow to Hatori. He was still loud and brash, but it was more from habit and personality than from ruffled feelings.  
  
~Yuki~  
  
Yuki fought with Kyo when the cat needed to let loose, but he spent most of his time either with Tohru or his brother, or in his garden. He had become a security blanket of sorts with Ayame, and Ayame had become the same with him. He had started relaxing, and letting people get close to him.  
  
He still had trouble when someone started getting too close, but all the time spent getting to know his brother seemed to help them both.  
  
~Ayame~  
  
Ayame had shown his serious side when everything started. He had begun to waste away when there was no good news for a time. His hair had lost its shine, and he had paled even further. He began to cling to Yuki and Shigure, drawing comfort from two definite presences in his life. He had shown everyone exactly how serious and dedicated he could become. When Hatori was recovering, Ayame could almost always be found in the hospital or near by, trying to make Hatori more comfortable.  
  
As he started getting more involved in Hatori's recovery, he started being someone the younger Juunishi members could look up to, giving him even more reason to go on. He had learned that not everything had to be a joke.  
  
~Shigure~  
  
Shigure had dealt with what he was feeling by either being a rock for Ayame, or writing. To let out his frustrations he would lock himself in his study for hours on end, and then come out with an entire manuscript. Mit was in heaven. However, Tohru would almost swear she heard the dog crying at night, when he thought no one else was awake to hear. He was strong for the others, but hurting just as much as everyone else.  
  
~Hatsuharu~  
  
Haru had fought even more than Kyo, possibly because he was closer to the dragon than the cat was. Black Haru made fewer appearances, probably because he knew subconsciously that no one needed the added frustration of dealing with him. He and Rin had worked through their problems and were together again, happily insulting and putting each other down one minute, and gazing lovingly into each other's eyes the next.  
  
~Rin~  
  
Rin had become more withdrawn as Hatori got worse, and as the sickness lasted. Finally, when she and Haru had reconciled, she had come out of her shell and started acting like herself again.  
  
~Hiro~  
  
Hiro had begun acting like a pest again, but one upset word from Kisa and he was an angel the rest of the time. He was there for anyone who just wanted to talk, and he and Kyo got into many verbal wars to let off steam. He did the same with Shigure.  
  
~Kisa~  
  
Kisa didn't say much during the entire time Hatori was sick, but she was there for people who did. She was a comforting presence when that was all that was needed.  
  
~Kagura~  
  
Kagura had gotten more violent as the days went by, then she went too far during a spar one day and had a long talk with Kyo. After that, she offered her services wherever they were needed, doing chores when the person whose job it was was overcome by thoughts of Hatori and how 'hopeless' it was.  
  
~Momiji~  
  
Momiji haunted the building where his father worked. He would talk to his father, and then watch longingly when his mother and sister came by. After awhile though, he made a game out of it, making Momo smile whenever their mother wasn't looking, and then hiding when she turned to look. It was all that kept him sane.  
  
~Ritsu~  
  
Ritsu had stopped apologizing; he was too caught up in grief to think about it. At first he had found ways to blame himself for what was happening, but eventually got the point that nothing he could have done had created the problem or would have made it avoidable.  
  
~Kureno~  
  
Kureno had stayed at Akito's side the entire time, not trusting himself to keep Akito safe from all the dangers the world presented. Yes, Kureno was obsessed with keeping Akito safe, but that was just Kureno's way. It kept him happy and occupied, so no one said anything.  
  
~Akito~  
  
Akito had relaxed with everyone. He felt that, since they were all worried about Hatori, and he was too, he shouldn't bother any of them. For the most part he stayed in his rooms, but when he came out, he was usually very kind to everyone, proving that actually did care about his family.  
  
Tohru's thoughts were abruptly cut off when a doctor stepped into the room. The man smiled at the people gathered in the waiting room. It warmed the man's heart to see that his patient was so cared for. "I have good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first" the doctor asked, directing his question to Akito.  
  
"Bad first, please," Akito answered, never taking his eyes off of the doctor's face.  
  
"Alright. He will have to come back for checkups, and you have to watch for a relapse, but he appears to be fine at the moment. The cancer is in remission." Everyone let out a sigh of relief, then sucked the air back into their lungs as Hatori walked through the door.  
  
"Well," Shigure said jokingly, "I guess it's time to live happily ever after!" Everyone laughed and went home. That day there was a party in Hatori's honor at the main house, and everyone was invited.  
  
Five years later the cancer had still not returned, and Hatori was officially declared cured. He took over his duties as Sohma doctor again, and he and Kana kept in tough. She and her husband even named their first child (a boy) Hatori, in his honor.  
  
~  
  
A/N: How'd you like it? I know, the end was a bit sappy, but that's what the muses demanded, and who am I to deny a muse its demands? Please review and tell me what you thought! 


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